Device for forming reserves of a tape

ABSTRACT

Mechanical tension regulator means together with a temporary storage means having a vacuum type feed-in and feed-out control means for providing a continuous feed of a flexible material tape maintained under controlled tension to a continuous demand machine from a supply source where the tape is wound on bobbins, and tape feed and splicing means are provided.

Q United States Patent 1 [111 3,878,979

Cristiani Apr. 22, I975 DEVICE FOR FORMING RESERVES OF A [56] ReferencesCited TAPE UNITED STATES PATENTS [75] Inventor: Athos Cristiani,Bologna, Italy 3.123.268 3/1964 Gagg l. 226M] X 3,279,7l7 lO/l966Schubert 242/584 [73] Asslgneez AMF Inoorporated,Wh|te Plains,

Primary E.\'aminer--Richard A. Schacher [22] Filed: Feb. 19, 1974Attorney, Agent, or Firm-George W. Price; Charles .I. 211 Appl. No.:443,570

[57] ABSTRACT Fnrelgn Application Priority Data Mechanical tensionregulator means together with a Mar. 2, 1973 Italy l2494/73 temporarystorage means having a vacuum type feedin and feed-out control means forproviding a continu- [52] US. Cl. 226/"; 226/34; 226/114; ous feed of aflexible material tape maintained under 226/] I8; 242/182 controlledtension to a continuous demand machine [5 l] Int. Cl. B6511 17/42 from asupply source where the tape is wound on bob- Field of Search 226/l l I,2. bins, and tape feed and splicing means are provided.

226/113, H4, 95, 118, 34, 195', 242/182, 183, l84, l85, 58.4

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures DEVICE FOR FORMING RESERVES OF A TAPE Thisinvention relates generally to providing a machine with means forcontinuously feeding of a strip or tape-shaped material from a source toa point of use and more particularly to such means which permitscontinuous operation while a depleted bobbin of such material isreplaced by another.

Certain machines such as cigarette makers and the like require anuninterruptedly feed of a tape-shaped material. in cigarette makers, acontinuous cut tobacco braid is longitudinally wrapped in a paper tapeto form what is called a continuous rod which is successively cut intoequal segments to provide individual cigarettes. These machines requirethe paper tape provided by bobbins, to be fed in a substantiallycontinuous manner to avoid stopping the machine every time a tape bobbinis depleted and must be replaced by a new bobbin.

Flexible tape material feeders and splicers generally are not new andhave been proposed for this purpose. These devices provide a machinewith regular tape feed and automatic splicing of the trailing end of thetape of a depleted bobbin to the leading end of the tape of a stand-bybobbin. Thereafter, the full and empty bobbins are operatively changedso that a full bobbin is always in an unwinding condition, while theempty bobbin will eventually be replaced with a full bobbin. The leadingor starting end of the tape of the replacement is then convenientlyarranged and positioned for the subsequent automatic splicing operation.However, for appropriate operation of a tape feeding device of acigarette maker, the tape must be kept under constant tension and mustbe uninterruptedly fed at a preset rate even during automatic splicingand replacing depleted bobbins.

One object of the present invention is to provide for a machine a methodto control and maintain the tension of a tape moving longitudinally andcontinuously from a main feeding source in which the tape is loaded inbobbins, said tape being pulled forward along a feed path to a machine,and for automatically forming an ex temporary reserve of tape in theshape of a tortuous and loose loop which allows the tape to be feduninterruptedly, under controlled tension, even during periods ofinactivity of the main feed source when a depleted bobbin is replaced bya new bobbin involving the need of splicing the respective tape ends ofsaid bobbins.

Another object of the present invention is to provide the foregoingmethod in which the formation of this reserve is obtained by pneumaticfeeding means, always maintaining the tension of the tape under controlwhile the tape is longitudinally pulled forward along the feed path bytemporarily transferring the tension adjusting action from a normalfluctuating-loop tension equalizing device to a pneumatic tensionregulator which is operatively active in concomitance with the formationof said extemporary tape reserve. by spontaneously releasing tape fromthis reserve to the said feed path according to the required preset rateof feed, increased by an amount which matches the temporary increases ofthe production speed of the machine.

And another object of the present invention is to provide for a machinemeans or a device for the uninterrupted feed of a tape of flexiblematerial while it is pulled longitudinally with a controlled tractiveforce along a feed path from a source where the tape is loaded onbobbins and is regularly unwound during feeding to a point of use of themachine requiring a continuous and regulated feed of the tape.

Still. another object of the present invention is to provide theforegoing means or device comprising at least a mechanical tensionregulator for variable loop formation and which engages the tape at asection of the feed path located downstream of a tape pulling meanswhich extracts the tape from its source and guides it to form a loop thedepth of which is automatically changed by said mechanical tensionregulator in agreement with possible fluctuations of the actual rate offeed required at the point of use of the machine, as compared to apreset rate of feed, to maintain a constant tractive force as aconsequence of the forward pulling of the tape along said feed path; astorage means suitable for accommodating a reserve of tape in the shapeofa continuous, tortuous and loose loop, and having a tapeleadin/lead-out opening which is defined between the periphery of arotary pneumatic drum associated to actuating means capable of causingit to rotate to induce the tape to enter, from the pulling means, intothe storing means, and an aperture which holds the tape, by suction asit leaves the storage means and upstream of the path where the tape isengaged by the mechanical tension regulator.

And still, another object of the present invention is to provide theforegoing means or device wherein the holding force exerted on the tapeby pneumatic suction through the aperture permits the tape to moveforward on the aperture with frictional resistance which issubstantially equal to the predetermined tractive force which can beallowed for the tape; the mechanical tension regulator for loopvariation and storing means are operatively correlated to each other sothat a controlled movement of the mechanical regulator will move theloop to a position where the pneumatic drum and the pneumatic aperturetake by suction the paper tape from the mechanical regulator; sequencecoordinating means is provided to rotate the pneumatic drum at aperipheral speed higher than the maximum speed of the tape pulling meansso that the temporary tape reserve will progressively be formed in thestorage means while suction through the aperture maintains at the presettractive force in the tape as it continues to move from the storagemeans towards the point of use of the machine to which it must be fed.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear more fullyhereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description whichfollows, taken together with the accompanying drawing wherein oneembodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is tobe expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for illustrationpurposes only and is not to be construed as defining the limits of theinvention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic front elevational view of an embodiment of adevice in accordance with the invention as it appears during the normalmachine operation when the paper tape is fed directly and undercontrolled tension, from the bobbin feeder to the point of use of themachine.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, with the novel device as itappears when a tape bobbin is about to deplete and a temporary reservesis formed while the tape, under controlled tension, continues to beuninterruptedly fed.

FIG. 3 is a plan view partly in section, which illustrates moreparticularly a loop forming mechanism, particularly adapted to theinvention.

inasmuch as a preferred embodiment of the present invention is incigarette making machines, it will now be described in such anenvironment. Referring now to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1 and2, a paper tape N is continuously fed from a bobbin Bl, fitted to a maintape type feeder 2, to a cigarette maker (not illustrated), along a feedpath along which the paper tape moves and is guided in the directionindicated by the arrow F to a point of use of the machine.

The feed path from the tape feeder 2 is defined by a set of rollers 3,4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. A splicer is provided with a roller 103 which movestoward and away from roller 3 and cooperates therewith to splice thetrailing end of the web N when the bobbin Bl is substantially depletedto leading end of the web or tape of bobbin B2. Thereafter, the tapefeeder or support 2 is rotated 180 so that the bobbin B2 assumes theposition of bobbin Bl, as shown, and bobbin B1 is replaced with a newbobbin with tape to be spliced to the trailing end of the tape of bobbinB2 when depleted. This tape supply and splicing means is more fullyshown, described and claimed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,587 which issuedJune 12, 1973 and is assigned to the same assignee as is thisapplication.

Roller 4 is an idler which guides tape N round a pulling roller 5 whichis driven by a variable speed motor (not shown) interlocked with theoperation of the cigarette maker (not shown) so that the peripheralspeed and direction of roller 5 appropriately feeds in the directionindicated by arrow F and substantially corresponds with the advancespeed of a tobacco braid being produced in this machine. Accordingly,the paper tape N is fed to the cigarette maker at approximately the samespeed as the tobacco braid is produced. Thus, appropriate conditionsexist for wrapping and sheating the braid in a tube of such tape to formthe well known continuous cigarette rod. A pressing roller 6 cooper ateswith pulling roller 5 to prevent possible slippage of the tape N pulledor drawn from the appropriate bobbin which, in this instance, is bobbinB1.

The tape N leaving roller 5, and before engaging idlers 7 and 9 whichdefine the inlet end of the feed path to the cigarette maker (notshown), passes round a roller 8 which rotatably mounted on the end of anarm 11 of a device which maintains the tension exerted on the tape as aresult of the pulling action substantially constant as the tape movesalong the feed path. Referring particularly to FIG. 3, arm 1] of thedevice which the tension constant on the tape N is keyed at anintermediate point to a spindle shaped end 113 of a shaft 13 which ismounted rotatable in bearings 14 housed in a bushing 15 which is mountedstationary in the frame 16 of the bobbin feeder or support 2. Fitted tothe bushing 15 is also the case of a potentiometer 17 which has asliding contact actuation pin 18 coaxially aligned with shaft 13 andprovided with a collar 19 into which a pin 20 is driven; the pinextending parallel to the pin 18 and outwardly from collar 19 until itengages an opening 21 in a flange 22 fastened to the end of the shaft 13opposite from its spindle end 113.

A counterweight 23 is fastened to the end of the arm 11 opposite fromthe end on which the roller 8 is mounted while on that part 111 of arm11, opposite from counterweight 23 there is slidably mounted acalibration weight 24 which can be manually positioned and subsequentlylocked in conformity with a maximum required value of the tractive forceadmissible on tape N which passes around the idle pin 8. in other words,the calibration weight 24 is movable along part 1 ll of arm 11 anappropriate distance from the spindle end 113 of shaft 13 to a desiredposition where the net effect on the arm 11 provides the preset tensionon the tape or web N. The calibration weight 24 is then locked inposition. The armor compensator 11 being so adjusted or balanced by theweights 23 and 24 tends to move the roller 8 upwardly thus forming aloop AL in the tape N between the rollers 5 and 7.

Each time the tractive force exerted on tape N which is pulled or drawnforwardly along the feed path changes because of fluctuations of thecontinuous rod production speed and the peripheral speed of pullingroller 5 is constant, the arm 11 will appropriately rotate and move theroller 8, commonly known as a dancer roller, upwardly or downwardlythereby decreasing or increasing the size of the loop AL to absorb shortexcess tape lengths or to release short needed tape lengths and maintaina constant tension on the tape N when the tape feed rate fluctuates.

The potentiometer 17 is operatively connected in a regulator detectorcircuit (not shown) which controls the speed of a motor (not shown)motor driving pulling roller 5 so that the movement of arm 11 and thecorresponding rotation of shaft 13 and pin 18 causes in thepotentiometer a fractionary adjustment which changes the motor speed asrequired to cancel the effect of the tape fluctuation which caused thearm 11 to move. Thus, for instance, a decrease in the speed of taperesulting from a decreased speed of the continuous tobacco rod in themaker will cause a temporary excess of tape along the feed path. Theexcess tape N will be absorbed by the compensator 11 by increasing thesize of the tape loop AL due to the upward movement of the dancer roller8. This movement will, however, act through the potentiometer 17 on thecircuit regulating the speed of the motor driving roller 5 to decreasethe speed of roller 5 commensurate with the said decrease of the speedof the rod being produced by the maker.

Associated to the main paper tape feeder assembly 2 is a storing unit 25which consists of a box type housing, having a lead-in/lead-out aperturedefined between the periphery of a suction drum 26 and a pneumatic port27. This aperture is so arranged that roller 8 enters into it when armll has the greatest upward inclination and the roller 8 is at itsmaximum elevation. The periphery or shell of the suction drum 26 isprovided with a plurality of holes or ports 126 which communicatethrough the drum cavity with a suitable vacuum source (not shown). Ashoe 226 is mounted internally against part of the periphery of drum 26,intercepts suction through those holes 126 disposed adjacent the shoeand in a selected angular extension of the periphery. Drum 26 is mountedfor rotation on its own geometrical axis and is rotatably driven so thatits peripheral speed is at least close to the maximum speed at which thepulling roller 5 can be driven.

When a bobbin Bl, being unwound, is close to depletion or is close tothe conditions in which it must be considered depleted, an element 28which senses the actual quantity of tape still existing in said bobbin,controls the increase of the peripheral speed of pulling roller 5 beyondthe speed correlated with the actual rate of tape feed required at thatmoment by the maker. Accordingly, arm 11 is inclined upwardly andelevates the roller 8, since the opposing adjusting action of thecontrol circuit with the potentiometer 17 has obviously already beendeactivated.

ln conjunction with this movement of arm 11 which raises roller 8,suction drum 26 is caused to rotate in the direction indicated by arrowT (see FIG. I) and suction is provided to the drum 26 and port 27. Thus,when roller 8 is about to enter the opening defined between drum 26 andthe rounded edge of port 27, tape N of the loop AL at the roller 8 istaken or removed from the roller by suction of drum 26 on one side andby suction of port 27 on the other. Also the rotational speed of drum 5will have been brought to its maximum so that the pneumatic pullingaction of the vacuum drum 26 will form in the storage area 25 atemporary reserve of paper tape having the shape ofa long meandering,loose and tortuous loop SL, which occupies the storage area 25 and whichcontinuously supplies tape to the maker at the preset rate of feed andunder constant tension. In other words, at the same time, tape Ncontinues to be released by said storing area to the maker, at the rateof feed requested by the maker, it is pulled or drawn across holes 127to which they tend to adhere to because of the suction available in port27. Thus suction is so adjusted that the pulling effort which must beapplied to the paper tape to make it slide on the perforated surface ofport 27 is substantially equal to the pulling effort for which the arm11 and dancer roller 8 have been calibrated.

On the other hand, the suction retaining force exerted by drum 26 on thetape N arriving from the pulling drum 5 will permit the tape to slide onwithout tearing or breaking the tape in case the peripheral speed ofdrum 26 becomes higher than that of drum 5. Thus a temporary tapereserve is formed while the tape is always fed continuously, with acontrolled pulling force or tension, to the cigarette maker.

Finally, when bobbin B1 is completely depleted or has reached thecondition in which it must be considered depleted. pulling roller 5 isstopped and the splicer 10 is actuated to splice the trailing end of thetape of bobbin B1 and the leading end of the tape of the new stand-bybobbin B2. While these operations are under way the tape is, therefore,fed continuously and at a constant tension from the storage area 25.Subsequently, the pulling roller 5 is re-started and its speed isprogressively increased to the desired predetermined speed whichcorresponds to the continuous cut tobacco braid advancing speed. Whenthe extemporary tape reserve in storage area 25 is close to depletion,tape N drops across the roller 8, and arm 11 moves down again resumingits normal functions of a loop regulator.

Although but a single embodiment of the invention has been illustratedand described in detail, it is to be expressly understood that theinvention is not limited thereto. Various changes may also be made inthe design and arrangement of the parts without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as the same will now be understood bythose skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for maintaining uninterrupted the feed of flexible materialtape advancing longitudinally, pulled by a controlled tractive forcealong a feed path from a main tape feed source where the tape is unwound from a bobbin as it is fed to a machine which requests acontinuous and regulated tape feed, comprising tape pulling means forwithdrawing the tape from the main feed source, a variable loop formingmechanical tension regulator engaging the tape and forming a loopthereof in said feed path downstream of a tape pulling means, the sizeof the loop being automatically changed by the mechanical tensionregulator in response to fluctuations of the actual rate of feedrequested by the machine compared to a predetermined rate of feed bysaid tape pulling means to keep a constant tractive force in the tape, astorage means suitable for accommodating a tape reserve in the shape ofa continuous tortuous and loose tape, said storage means having a tapelead-in and lead-out opening with the periphery of a rotary pneumaticdrum driven at a controlled speed to move the tape from the pullingmeans to the storage area and suction port means for holding the tape onthe side of the path leading to the machine and downstream of saidmechanical tension regulator. the retaining force exerted on the tape bypneumatic suction through said port means permitting the tape to slideforward on said port and providing a forward motion frictionalresistance substantially equal to the predetermined rate of tractiveforce controlled by said mechanical tension regulator, said tensionregulator and said storage means being operatively associated with eachother so that said mechanical regulator moves the loop to a positionwhere said pneumatic drum and said pneumatic port means removes saidtape from said mechanical regulator, sequence coordinating means forrotating said pneumatic drum at a peripheral speed which is higher thanthe maximum speed of said tape pulling means to form a temporary tapereserve in said storage means while the suction from said port meansmaintains the tractive force on the tape which continues to be fed fromsaid storage means to the machine.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, and said mechanical tractionregulator being separated from said storage means and being operated toform a loop and to guide said loop towards the tape lead-in and lead-outopening of said storage means when required to allow the loop tape to betaken by suction by the pneumatic drum and by the pneumatic port meanswhich define the said opening.

3. ln apparatus for providing a continuous feed path for a flexiblematerial between a main tape source including pulling means forunwinding the tape from a bobbin and a machine having a continuousdemand for such tape, comprising mechanical regulator means engaging andforming a loop in the tape between the tape source and the machine, saidregulator means being op erable in response to fluctuations in demand ofthe machine to maintain the tape under a substantially constant tension,storage means for a temporary reserve of tape having a feed-in andfeed-out opening with a rotatable suction drum at the feed-in side ofthe opening with a peripheral speed at least equal to the maximum speedof the pulling means and a suction surface at the feed-out side of theopening holding the tape in contact therewith and permitting the tape toslide thereon as it is fed to the machine, said mechanical regulatormeans being movable to a position drawing the loop into the opening ofsaid storage means, and said vacuum drum and surface removing the tapeloop from said regulator means to provide a temporary reserve in saidstorage means.

means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 and said mechanical regulator meansautomatically varying the size of the tape loop in response tofluctuations in the demand for tape by the machine to maintain thetension on the tape constant.

k i: =0 1k

1. Apparatus for maintaining uninterrupted the feed of flexible material tape advancing longitudinally, pulled by a controlled tractive force along a feed path from a main tape feed source where the tape is unwound from a bobbin as it is fed to a machine which requests a continuous and regulated tape feed, comprising tape pulling means for withdrawing the tape from the main feed source, a variable loop forming mechanical tension regulator engaging the tape and forming a loop thereof in said feed path downstream of a tape pulling means, the size of the loop being automatically changed by the mechanical tension regulator in response to fluctuations of the actual rate of feed requested by the machine compared to a predetermined rate of feed by said tape pulling means to keep a constant tractive force in the tape, a storage means suitable for accommodating a tape reserve in the shape of a continuous tortuous and loose tape, said storage means having a tape lead-in and lead-out opening with the periphery of a rotary pneumatic drum driven at a controlled speed to move the tape from the pulling means to the storage area and suction port means for holding the tape on the side of the path leading to the machine and downstream of said mechanical tension regulator, the retaining force exerted on the tape by pneumatic suction through said port means permitting the tape to slide forward on said port and providing a forward motion frictional resistance substantially equal to the predetermined rate of tractive force controlled by said mechanical tension regulator, said tension regulator and said storage means being operatively associated with each other so that said mechanical regulator moves the loop to a position where said pneumatic drum and said pneumatic port means removes said tape from said mechanical regulator, sequence coordinating means for rotating said pneumatic drum at a perIpheral speed which is higher than the maximum speed of said tape pulling means to form a temporary tape reserve in said storage means while the suction from said port means maintains the tractive force on the tape which continues to be fed from said storage means to the machine.
 1. Apparatus for maintaining uninterrupted the feed of flexible material tape advancing longitudinally, pulled by a controlled tractive force along a feed path from a main tape feed source where the tape is unwound from a bobbin as it is fed to a machine which requests a continuous and regulated tape feed, comprising tape pulling means for withdrawing the tape from the main feed source, a variable loop forming mechanical tension regulator engaging the tape and forming a loop thereof in said feed path downstream of a tape pulling means, the size of the loop being automatically changed by the mechanical tension regulator in response to fluctuations of the actual rate of feed requested by the machine compared to a predetermined rate of feed by said tape pulling means to keep a constant tractive force in the tape, a storage means suitable for accommodating a tape reserve in the shape of a continuous tortuous and loose tape, said storage means having a tape lead-in and lead-out opening with the periphery of a rotary pneumatic drum driven at a controlled speed to move the tape from the pulling means to the storage area and suction port means for holding the tape on the side of the path leading to the machine and downstream of said mechanical tension regulator, the retaining force exerted on the tape by pneumatic suction through said port means permitting the tape to slide forward on said port and providing a forward motion frictional resistance substantially equal to the predetermined rate of tractive force controlled by said mechanical tension regulator, said tension regulator and said storage means being operatively associated with each other so that said mechanical regulator moves the loop to a position where said pneumatic drum and said pneumatic port means removes said tape from said mechanical regulator, sequence coordinating means for rotating said pneumatic drum at a perIpheral speed which is higher than the maximum speed of said tape pulling means to form a temporary tape reserve in said storage means while the suction from said port means maintains the tractive force on the tape which continues to be fed from said storage means to the machine.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, and said mechanical traction regulator being separated from said storage means and being operated to form a loop and to guide said loop towards the tape lead-in and lead-out opening of said storage means when required to allow the loop tape to be taken by suction by the pneumatic drum and by the pneumatic port means which define the said opening.
 3. In apparatus for providing a continuous feed path for a flexible material between a main tape source including pulling means for unwinding the tape from a bobbin and a machine having a continuous demand for such tape, comprising mechanical regulator means engaging and forming a loop in the tape between the tape source and the machine, said regulator means being operable in response to fluctuations in demand of the machine to maintain the tape under a substantially constant tension, storage means for a temporary reserve of tape having a feed-in and feed-out opening with a rotatable suction drum at the feed-in side of the opening with a peripheral speed at least equal to the maximum speed of the pulling means and a suction surface at the feed-out side of the opening holding the tape in contact therewith and permitting the tape to slide thereon as it is fed to the machine, said mechanical regulator means being movable to a position drawing the loop into the opening of said storage means, and said vacuum drum and surface removing the tape loop from said regulator means to provide a temporary reserve in said storage means.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 and said suction drum feeding said tape from the pulling means into said storage means, and said suction surface controlling the feed of the temporary tape reserve to the machine.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 and said suction surface subjecting the tape to tension substantially equal to the tension from the mechanical regulator means. 